


Kid Oblivious

by lontradiction



Series: Twelve Years And Counting [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Bromance to Romance, Five Plus One, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Oblivious, Pining, Surprise Angst, Unresolved Romantic Tension, primarily focused on birdflash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-18
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-04-26 22:38:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5023234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lontradiction/pseuds/lontradiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally can be really unobservant sometimes. Even when people are telling him the same thing over and over again. Five times people tried to clue Wally into the tension between him and Dick, and one time they succeeded.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Superboy

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter takes place immediately after Denial.

[July 23, 01:07 EDT, Team Year 0]

“Dismissed,” Batman says. He couldn’t say it fast enough, if you ask me. Then again, speedsters aren’t exactly known for their patience, soooo maybe I’m just biased.

The team disperses pretty quickly, even for a Batman dismissal. Aqualad heads for the zeta tubes (on his way to Atlantis, no doubt), and my green girl M’Gann is off to the kitchen. That always means more cookies are on the way. Score!

Dick, on the other hand, has barely moved. He’s totally zoned out, and doesn’t look happy. And that’s just not cool. I walk over and pull him around to face me. “Hey dude, what’s up? You look like the one time Alfred hid the video games to make us go outside.” I zip around to his other shoulder. “Totally bogus, by the way. We’re outside all the time for patrols.”

“Yeah,” he says, absentmindedly. “Totally bogus.” He doesn’t even look at me.

You’ve got to be kidding me. “Hey, birdbrain,” I say, flicking his forehead. “I’m serious. What’s up?”

I can’t deny it makes me worry to see him like this. Rob never turns off. He glances down, then back at me. “I’m sorry for running off on you all again. You and Kaldur were right. I’m not used to a full team.” It takes me a second to realize I’m gritting my teeth. He’s not supposed to feel ashamed.

“Look,” I say, scratching the back of my neck. “Don’t get me wrong. Most of the time, you’re doing something important we’d never have thought of on our own. Plus, you can’t take the same hits the rest of us can.” He gives me a batglare – birdglare? “Not that that’s a bad thing!” My hands fly up in defense. “Staying out of the way of those hits is smart. Besides, it means you’ve got time to set up our getaway. It’s just, we never know where you’re going, and you don’t even tell us what our half of the plan’s supposed to be. It was dumb luck that we ended up in that office at the same time. How are we supposed to fight like that?”

Damn it. Now he’s looking even more upset. Think, Wally, think!

“You’ll figure it out, okay?” I lay a hand on his shoulder. That’s what you do when you’re reassuring someone, right? “Until then, just tell us where you’re going! It’s not cool to make your best bro worry.” I can’t resist a smirk. “Besides, you’ll miss all my glorious action. The ladies dig my awesome moves.”

He scoffs, and brushes off the hand. “More like appallsome. Manage not to trip over yourself while I was gone?” His smirk turns into an actual smile. “But thanks, KF. Good to know my genius is appreciated, even if leadership isn’t part of it.”

“No problem, dude. I’m up for appreciating you any time.” I glance up, face turning into a half-frown. “That came out wrong.”

“Dork.” He lightly pushes me away, then turns around and walks to the zeta tubes. I can tell he’s beaming just from the spring in his step. I turn on my heels, taking a moment to bask in my success. Who knows the Rob? I do! Who deserves cookies? I do! Time to go greet Miss M in the kitchen, I say. And I’m there in a flash!

Ooooor, I would be, if Superboy didn’t decide to plant his giant chest directly in my path. Feels like I ran into a brick wall – actually, no, brick walls are softer. Turns out that when I meet an immovable object, I just fall on my ass.

“What gives?” I say, slowly getting back up on my feet. Owww. That’s gonna smart.

He stares down at me. His expression is about as inscrutable as always.

“Seriously, I’m not a mind reader.” Can’t he ever just say what’s on his mind?

“I heard your conversation.”

I guess he can. “Which conversation? If you’re talking about last time M’Gann – look, she just messed up with the sweets, it wasn’t what it sounded like -”

“No. With Robin.” It really would take a mind reader to tell what that tiny shift in his face meant. “You helped him?”

Looking at him sideways gives me no more insight into that strange little mind. “Well, yeah. I mean, I think so.”

Superboy folds his arms. He seems determined to take up as much space as possible. “Why?”

“Whaddaya mean, why?” I stand up to jab my finger directly into his chest. “He’s my friend, friends help. You’re so worried, why didn’t you do it?”

He bats away my hand and I wince as it hits the opposite wall. “You’ve been fighting. Why make up so fast?”

I just stare at him. Where’d he get that impression? “No we haven’t.” He raises an eyebrow. “We’re totally chill.” Eyebrows clench in the center. “Rob and I just tease each other, that’s all.” I look away. I officially cannot handle him staring anymore. “Okay, so maybe we argued a bit, but we’re on a new team. We’ve just got growing pains. This mission was one of them.”

“It’s not just this mission,” he says, and with the way my breath rushes out, it feels like I’m hitting him again. “You’ve been fighting while you’ve been here.”

”Dude, I told you, we’re just teasing,” I say, darting around to his other side. Unfortunately, his bicep is there, and those guns feel like solid metal. OWWW. “You know, that thing friends do? Instead of keeping each other from getting cookies?”

I can feel him tilting his head. “Your heartbeat has risen and your throat is constricting. Breathing patterns changed too.”

“Yes, I know the physiological effects of stress and pain,” I grumble, trying to pull myself to my full height. “We’ve had a lot of both today, some of it caused by you not getting out of my way.” Damn it, why is he so tall.

He looms over me, counting off points on his fingers. “Those changes did not start until you admitted that you and Robin had been fighting. Similar ones happened during some of the incidents you called teasing.” My hands clench. “These changes grow more severe as people point them out. Since you still see him as a friend, enough to help him out, you are not truly angry at him for any one reason. So the question is not why you helped him.” If possible, he seems even taller. “It’s why you’re fighting.”

“Look, I don’t know what you talking about,” I say, mentally making a note to see if we can widen the damn hallways, “’cause the only fight I know of was today, and I think putting the team at risk is a good reason to question a guy.”

“Yes,” Supey says, shrugging, and damn, that would have been a good opening, “but he sees fit to question you at all times, and you still fall in line if he says the right words.”

“Well, yeah, he’s Rob,” I say, blinking. “We both do that.” Then the first part starts ringing in my head. “Also, name one time he’s questioned me that wasn’t on a mission. Or related to one.”

He actually smirks. “When you asked for a private tour. On the tour, when he cut in between you and M’Gann. Actually, he gets annoyed almost any time you talk to M’Gann.” I get the distinct impression he’s making fun of me. Me! From Superboy!

“Yeah, well, just because his charms don’t work on all the ladies…” I say, intentionally trailing off. I wait for Supey’s expression to change. It doesn’t. “Come on, he’s totally jealous. It happens! We’ll get over it.”

That gets Superboy to shrug. “Jealous, maybe, but not of M’Gann. It only happens when you speak with her. You could always ask him.”

I throw my hands up until they almost touch my back. “I dunno! Maybe he doesn’t get that a man’s just gotta do some things on his own. Who made you the social guru, anyway? You grew up in a tube!”

All traces of positive emotion leave Superboy’s face. So it’s back to normal really. He speaks slowly, with sharp stops. “The G-Gnomes implanted a long course on body language and social interaction into my brain. I should be more than adequately socialized for my age.”

Yeah, right. “So you choose to be an awkward grouch?”

He turns away. “Well, I was raised to understand people, not be one.” He walks away.

…Wait, the hallway’s unblocked! I’m coming, Cookie Goddess!


	2. Tommy Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the events of Terrors.

[September 17th, 02:51 CDT, Team Year 0] 

“Remind me why we’re on prison guard duty?” I ask, kicking the toe of my boot into the ground. 

He sighs. Maybe asking for the third time was a mistake. “Because Miss Martian and Superboy are ‘under arrest,’” he says, actually using air quotes (dork), “and we’re the best close-range combatants left.” I’m pretty sure he’s rolling his eyes at me. 

“And the Justice League can’t deal with it why?” I throw my arms up in the air, then let them slide down behind my neck. It does a surprising and frankly frightful amount to ease my muscles. I forgot how much I hate standing still. 

“They have to be on call for any international crises or supervillain attacks. The public needs to see that the Justice League is always available,” he recites. Both of us know the party line by heart now, but I still ask and he still answers. I just like how he says it – like a mockery of a kindergarten student. 

“So they didn’t feel like waiting around with these jerks until Miss M and Superboy are out, so they decided to let the kids do it,” I summarize. Finally giving up on this whole “standing” thing, I slide down the wall and stretch my legs out in front of me. 

Tommy rattles the door of his cell, as if it’ll be any easier to open than it was the last five times he tried. Growling, he settles back down onto his seat. “We ain’t too happy to be here ourselves, y’know.” 

“I can imagine,” I say, nodding sympathetically. Tuppence glares over at us. Her cell’s a little further down – don’t want the twins too close. That’s tempting fate. The cells aren’t great – they’re not reinforced like Belle Reve’s – but they’ll hold for a couple days. “You two doing okay in there?” 

Tommy opens his mouth to reply, but Tuppence beats him to it. “If he’s anythin’ like me, he’s tired, hungry, and sick ‘a lookin’ at your ugly mugs.” Tommy looks annoyed at the interruption, but shrugs and nods. 

My stomach growls. “Now that I can agree with.” Artemis was the last one to go out for food, and it’s pretty obvious she’s not used to shopping for superstrong metabolisms, much less a speedster’s. 

“Speak for yourself,” Rob pipes up, snickering. “My mug is very handsome, thank you.” Always with the cheap shots. Gimme a break! 

“Yeah, yeah, we can’t all be child models.” I give him a shoulder shove and he flops down next to me, arching his spine like a cat. “Some of us have to content ourselves with our superior brains.” Grinning, I tap my temple for emphasis. 

Rob chuckles, and did I say grin? I meant grimace. I know where he’s going with this already. “Ouch, two for two, Kidiot!” I groan and hold my head in my hands. “Don’t worry. Stick around me, I’ll take care of you in your old age.” He ruffles my hair, and okay, that turns the grimace into a smile. It’s really not fair how he can be such a little shit and still charm your pants off. 

“I’m only 15, half-pint,” I say, flicking his forehead. “’Sides, with my healing, you might need care before I do.” 

“Yeah, right, geezer.” He leans back, luxuriating somehow despite the hard, beige walls. “Anyway, you want to come back to my place once we finally drop these guys off?” 

I raise my eyebrow. “Won’t the big guy drag you off on patrol the moment you get home?” 

“Are you kidding?” Rob says, giving me a distinctly non-Bat look. More like the look he gets in his eyes before leaving a decoy bomb. “He’ll probably bench me until I get some sleep and recalibrate. That’ll give us some time to hang out.” He leans in close, and that trademark grin stretches across his face. “So. You in?” 

That grin’s contagious, I swear. It’s on my face before I notice I’m mirroring it. “Of course. Rematch from last time?” 

Grins turn to smirks. “You’re on, KF. Usual bet?” He sticks his hand out. A challenge. 

I take it. “Always. Your ass is mine, Rob.” 

A staring contest ensues. Technically, I can’t see his eyes, but I know him well enough to know where he’s looking. He holds eye contact for just long enough to spark something in the back of my head, then glances away – down, I think? – before his eyes flick back up. They don’t quite make it to meeting mine, though. I wait for him to realize what he’s doing, but he doesn’t. 

I let go of his hand. “…You know I can tell you lost, right?” He starts. The edges of his smirk twitch down, and he looks almost guilty for a second before putting his face back together. 

“Should have known I couldn’t fool you.” Yeah, and you’re still not. His expression – behind the smirk, anyway – is a combination of shock, embarrassment and terror. I lean in to get a closer look- 

“Oh, get a room!” Tommy says, loud enough to make me jerk back from the volume of his words as much as the subject. Dick scrambles back a couple feet before even I can blink. “I ain’t got a problem with that,” Tommy continues, unperturbed, “but have some consideration for my poor, innocent little sister’s virgin eyes.” 

“Tommy, you know my eyes ain’t virgin,” Tuppence says, rolling her eyes hard enough to be felt from across the room. 

“Aw, Tuppence, let a brother pretend!” Tommy actually looks surprised. Has he not noticed his sister’s hot? I mean, I’m not into her and I wouldn’t expect him to be, but we both have eyes. I almost feel sorry for him. 

Robin stands up, glaring at Tommy. “Look, you’ve got it wrong,” he says, and it sounds flat, cold, like it’s the Bat saying it instead of his bird. Is he biting his lip? “You may not spend time with anyone but each other and your various paramours, but we do have friends.” Suddenly, I can’t read him anymore. He’s gone into the precise poker face of a Bat. It’s unsettling, especially given how… Rob he was a second ago. 

I lay a hand on his arm, looking up at him. He doesn’t seem to notice. “Lay off, Robs.” I try to keep my voice steady, but it wobbles. We can’t let them know how shaken he is. “That’s a bit personal, even for baddies, isn’t it?” 

Tension seems to slide off him as he takes a deep, shuddering breath. He looks down at me for a second, then shrugs me off, turning away. “Sorry,” he says. His voice is still flat, but it’s lost some of its edge. “I guess I’m more tired than I thought I was. I’m gonna go ask Artemis to take over and catch some z’s.” 

My arm aches. My hand is still floating where it touched him. I put it back in my lap. “Okay, dude. Get some rest, we’re gonna be back on duty in the morning.” 

He gives me one last glance, then leaves. The door shuts behind him, and I glance down. My toes twitch against the floor, and I really wish I was running right now. 

“Bad breakup?” Growling, I look up at Tommy. The bastard’s smirking. 

“What is with you?” I ask, throwing my arms out. “Rob just told you, it’s not like that!” 

“Yeah,” he says, his smirk growing. My hands clench into fists. “He did. He was pretty insistent on that.” I really don’t like this jackass. 

Tuppence’s voice rings out from across the room. “Aw, lay off the kid, Tommy. If they ain’t there yet, they ain’t there yet.” 

Tommy leans away from me, calling, “That look like not there yet to you, Tuppence? If they ain’t, they should be.” 

“Don’t make me bring up you and that ice kid. You talked my ear off about how he was your “best friend” and “really got you” while you was in juvie.” Tommy’s face turns bright red and I resist the urge to speed over and high-five Tuppence. 

“H-hey, that ain’t fair!” he stammers, trying to stand and failing. “I didn’t even know I was a queer back then!” 

“Right up until you laid one on him, yeah, I know,” Tuppence says, rolling her eyes. I catch the first guffaw before it escapes from my mouth, my stomach rolling from restrained laughter. “Point is, you ain’t got room to talk. If they say it ain’t like that, it ain’t like that, not ‘til they say different.” 

It takes me a second to realize what bugs me about that statement. “We’re not going to say any different! Rob and I aren’t dating!” Shit, my face is warm. I know from experience that means I’m red as a ripe tomato. 

“What did I just walk in on?” an unfortunately familiar voice says from behind. I jump and turn to the door, blush only getting worse. 

“Hi Artemis,” I say, trying to will the blood to go anywhere but my cheeks. 

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Baywatch?” she says, hands on her hips. I swear to God I’m going to punch Tommy when he gets out of that cell. 

“Aw, shut it,” I say, turning away. I’m not pouting. I’m not. 

She laughs and settles down next to me, patting me on the back. “You know we’ll accept you no matter who you date, Kid.” 

I curl up, hugging my knees. “I hate everyone in this room.”


	3. Black Canary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the events of Disordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! It's been a busy semester of college, unfortunately, and this chapter has been fighting me, I swear.  
> There is a significant amount of Spitfire in this chapter. Since this fic is entirely canon-compliant, it had to come up at some point. I tagged it, so you can't say you weren't warned.

Black Canary

[October 23rd, 18:55 EDT, Team Year 0]

Okay, so maybe it was a little much for me to make so much fun of Black Canary. Theoretically, she’s only trying to help. Still, sending me out was a bit much! If she’s so determined to help me, shouldn’t she at least give me a second try on that one? I’m pretty sure that’s what therapists are supposed to do. According to TV, anyway.

Wait, is she even qualified for this? I don’t think she’s a doctor or anything. Besides, surely treatment for trauma requires more than bothering me about Artemis. Ha. Like I haven’t been getting that from enough directions lately.

Hmmph. I’m not dealing with this on an empty stomach.

I walk into the kitchen. It’s quiet. Normally there’d be someone in here – Kaldur eating a tidy, balanced meal, Supes munching down something crunchy while glaring vaguely into space, or M’Gann trying out yet another cookie recipe – but the kitchen’s completely deserted. I fix myself a sandwich. Well, given how much bread I use, more like two sandwiches. Speedster metabolism.

The lounge is just as empty. The remote’s lying on the couch, where any sensible person would leave it. Rob’s doing, probably. I pick it up and turn the TV on, flipping to a channel with an excited announcer, and settle down to eat my monstrous twin sandwich.

I don’t even get through half of it before my spine starts itching with the need to change positions. I get up and move to the armchair. A handful of bites later, I move back to the couch. Another bite. This is ridiculous. I set my sandwich down and stand up, pacing back and forth between the couch and coffee table.

Where does she even get off telling me my reaction to Artemis’s “death” was extreme? It’s not like I was the only one who took it hard. I mean, M’Gann freaked out so bad she wrecked the scenario, but I’m betting BC didn’t grill her about it. Even Superboy reacted, and I don’t think he and Artemis actually talk that much. Besides when Artemis is hitting on him, anyway. Hey, why doesn’t he ever get asked about him and Artemis, anyway? No, it’s just me, the guy she can’t stand.

What even is her problem, anyway? It’s not like we’re strangers anymore, or I’m still saying she’s a bad replacement for Red Arrow (which, okay, was mean in hindsight). She just finds the smallest things to be annoyed about. It’s such a pain. I miss when she lost her memory and actually acted like a reasonable person for once, instead of an uptight jerk.

Well, only if I keep my memory. I still get weirded out by how cool I thought she was when I wasn’t me.

That’s the thing, though. It’s not like we _can’t_ get along. It’s just. Habit, I guess. But in those moments when she drops it, she can be pretty great. Straight-up pretty, even. I’m mature enough to admit that. But most of the time, her scowl just wrecks it.

Ugh, this is why I didn’t want to talk about it.

I grab my sandwich and stalk out of the room. One nice thing about everyone being AWOL: no one blocking the hallways. Maybe if I go overload a treadmill my brain will finally give me some peace and quiet.

A muffled voice interrupts my stride. I back up a few steps and realize I’m in front of the room Black Canary has co-opted. Should I be listening to this?

Black Canary’s voice drifts out, quiet but understandable. “Do you think you can tell me more about what happened when you and Wally were locked in the hub ship?”

 _Dick’s in there?_ I wonder, before whacking myself upside the head. _No real names in the Cave, Wally. Bad habits mean bad slips of the tongue._

“We fought,” Rob says, his voice a little louder and clearer than BC’s. “I knew it didn’t matter. They were all about to die. I think he knew too.”

He’s right. I did.

“I guess we just didn’t want to just sit there and wait. We always figured we’d go out fighting. It hurt too much to think that nothing we did at that point mattered. At least, it did for me.”

There’s silence for a few long moments. I creep closer and settle down against the wall next to the door.

“I looked back at him. When the explosion came.” Rob’s voice is shaking. I’ve never heard that before. He always keeps at least a poker face on. “He looked like he didn’t have a single doubt. Like he didn’t blame me for lying to him. Like he’d have followed me into the pits of hell and stayed behind to get me out.” A deep breath, so ragged I could hear it from here. “He’s always the one to question me. He should have…” Another pause. “He reached out for my hand.”

Strange. I could have sworn Rob reached first.

“We barely grabbed each other before the blast reached us. He’d closed his eyes, but I didn’t. I watched him die, watched his skin melting…” A few short gasps. “It should have been me. I should have pulled a self-sacrificing stunt like Kaldur or something. Instead I lied to my best friend – to _Wally_ – and dragged him into a suicide mission. It wasn’t worth it. It could never be worth it.”

“Robin.” Dinah’s – damn it, _Black Canary’s_ – voice is firm, but gentle. “You had every reason to believe you were saving millions, if not billions of lives.”

“I know. But if making decisions that big means losing him again, I don’t just not want to be Batman. I can’t.”

I half-gasp. Dick’s never shut up about wanting to be like his old man. For something like this –

“Wait, is someone outside?” Dick’s voice startles me out of my thoughts. His steps are faster than I would have expected. _Crap_. I bolt back to a nearby corner and duck around it, pressing my back to the wall. The door opens, and I hear Dick step out.

“I- I’m sorry, I have to go.” The sound of his steps retreats into the distance.

I breathe a sigh of relief and turn to flee back to the lounge, then startle as I see Black Canary staring directly at me from the doorway.

“You shouldn’t have eavesdropped, Wally.” The gentleness has gone out of her voice, leaving only the firm. I back up, raising my hands to between her and me.

“I know,” I stammer. “I didn’t mean to, I-”

She glares at me, and the rest of the sentence blinks out of my mind. “How long were you there?”

My shoulders drop and I glance down. No point in hiding anything now. “From when he started talking about after M’Gann left.”

“I see.” She sighs and crosses to lean against the wall across from me. “You are very important to him. I would hope you already knew that.” I nod, and she tilts her head in acknowledgement. “Your death shook him greatly. Even more, I believe, than he lets on.”

“Yeah.” I glance over to where he went, but he’s already long gone.

She seems to wait for a longer response, but gives up. “Wally. Was his description of events accurate?”

I glance down again. My, but my toes are fascinating at the moment. “Yes. Mostly. I did resent being lied to, but I understood why he did it. If I had to die, I think that’s the way I would have wanted it.”

She’s silent. I look up, and her eyes meet mine. She’s staring at me thoughtfully. “How would you have reacted if Robin had died before you?”

My blood runs cold, but my gaze is red hot. “I would have torn apart every one of those ships and robots I could find with my bare hands.”

She doesn’t move. If anything, her face becomes more unreadable. “I see.” She tilts her head, a slow, precise movement. “If there had been a situation where they were both in danger and you could only save one of them, which one would you have chosen?”

I pull a face. “What kind of question is that? Are you trying to “traumatize” me all over again? And what’s with the obsession over my relationships? Can’t a guy get mad that his friends were killed without it being a whole thing?”

“Hm.” A corner of her mouth twitches up. I realize there’s a slight touch of pink on my cheeks and resettle my face into a more stony expression. “I suppose it was a bit much. They both care very deeply for you, Wally, and I believe that you do for them. Don’t try to hide from it. It will only hurt you in the long run.” She straightens up and turns to leave. She takes a few steps, then stops and looks back. “And stay open to new things. You never know what direction life will lead you.” She smiles fully, then walks away. I stand still until I can’t hear her anymore.

I don’t think she listened to me complaining about her constantly making insinuations about my “feelings” about people.

I start walking back to the lounge, but Artemis comes stomping up the hallway and intercepts me. She stands straight up and tall, her hands on her hips. “Hey, Kid I-Don’t-Care-About-Other-People’s-Spaces, you left the TV on way loud. Other people use the lounge too, you know. Oh, and the rooms next to it. All I ever wanted was to hear some loudmouthed show host compliment the boobs of a contestant’s girlfriend while I was grabbing chips.”

I wince. “Sorry, I was distracted.” An idea pops into my head. “Can I make it up to you with video games? I don’t know if you like any of the ones we have.”

She gives me an assessing look. “You have to have at least one shooter, right?”

I shrug and try out a smile. “I’ve got a selection. Come on, let’s head over and you can pick.”

She returns the attempt at a smile. It mostly comes out right. “Sure. Just don’t make a scene when you lose.”

“Yeah, right,” I say. This is good. Reconciliation and video games. That’s what healing looks like, right?

We start walking back, and she starts expounding on how different shooters deal with the physics of aiming. I have to wonder how she knows this much of guns. Must help with shooters. Wonder if something like that is how Robin got so good at them.

I glance back over my shoulder. He seemed… upset. More upset than I’ve ever seen him. Part of me wants to go find him instead, but I don’t think there’s much I can do to help. Not that he’d appreciate me listening in, anyway. I shake my head and look back to Artemis, who seems to be slowly cheering up. Yeah. Maybe this can work.


	4. Tim Drake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the timeskip, after the events of Young Justice: Legacy.

[February 24, 16:19 PST, Team Year 5]

Where is that damn photo?

It wasn’t in the box of photos from the cave, or subtle souvenirs, or top secret superhero things… I grab a stack of papers, wrenching them to the side to reveal… a broken birdarang. Right. From when we pranked the team for Halloween. 

This shouldn’t be in here. 

No matter how many times I pick up one of Robin’s gadgets, I’m always surprised at how much they weigh. They’re perfectly balanced – well, this one isn’t, it’s broken – but it’s still damn impressive that nine-year-old Dick could toss them around. He’s always been stronger than we gave him credit for.

Some things don’t change.

“I don’t know what he sees in you,” a voice echoes through the apartment. I whirl around so quickly that papers go flying. Sitting on the windowsill is a figure in red and black. It’s Rob – no, it’s just Robin. “Barely retired, and already off guard.” He turns the photo over in his fingers, pretending to be carefully studying it. I know Bat expressions well enough to know I’m the actual object of study.

I huff and stride across to loom over him. I may not be tall, but I’m taller than any Robin. “Excuse me for not expecting Team members without a warning call.” Staring down at him, I search for any sign of intimidation. I don’t find it. Should have expected that, I guess. “Your big brother know you’re here?”

He shrugs and holds out the photo. “Only if he’s stopped brooding long enough to notice I’m gone and care where I go. So, probably not.”

I take the photo back, careful not to crease it. “I take it the Bat knows, then.” Turning away, I look down at the photo. Dick’s arm is slung around my neck. It looks like he’s just made a joke, because the two of us are still laughing – not that I’m really paying attention to anything but M’Gann. Artemis is glaring at me like I’m the stupidest man alive and I’m… kind of inclined to agree. Good going, Wally. Ignore everyone who actually wants to give you the time of day in favor of harassing someone who’s definitely not interested. I’d go back in time and slap myself over the head, but if Artemis and Dick combined couldn’t get me to see sense, I’m not sure who could. 

It could have been them we lost. Maybe not this mission, but any. And I’m busy staring at M’Gann.

“…and Batman’s almost always off the Batcave grid while on missions in Cuba, so he probably won’t notice until tomorrow,” Robin finishes. He cocks his head. “Ah. Good. You were listening for the important part.”

“I try my best.” I glance back down at the photo. Hiding it feels wrong, but I’m not allowed to display it openly. I grab a photo frame and unlatch the back, slipping the Team behind a photo of puppy Brucely. I set the frame back where it was. There. Invisible. “He’s losing two important members of the team. No archer and no speedster. Really changes up the tactics, some rogues–” 

He levels a birdglare at me, but the hint of exasperation around the edges softens it a bit. It’s the first time he’s really looked like Robin. “We both know that’s not why he’s too busy “working” to work.” 

Silence falls. I have no intent to break it.

We stand there for a moment, locked in silent communication, before I give up and return to sorting through the papers. There’s nothing left that needs to be shredded and disintegrated – took care of all of that before we left. It’s just nostalgia. Holiday cards. Letters. “Formal” reprimands. There’s a lot of those. Dick and I had a contest to see who could collect the most, or the most outrageous. After a while we stopped keeping track of who was winning and just read ‘em to reminisce.

I hear the question long before he plans to ask. “I’m not being a child,” I reply, sorting everything into a few piles. Formal reprimands can go in one place – they’re not too eye-catching, especially in a blank folder. Cards should probably go somewhere a bit more hidden. Maybe a few somewheres. I already have one book on magic with the pages carved out. Might as well make use of it. “I’m growing up. Artemis and I have a life here, a life that we can’t afford to keep dropping for missions that keep us away for days.” Weeks. Months. Forever.

“Nobody expects you to. None of us could ever ask you for anything you didn’t volunteer.” A new set of reprimands lands on top of the others. “Did you and Nightwing really hack the Batcave just to plan surprise birthday parties for everyone in the Justice League?” A glance up shows me his smile. Heh, the younger generation acknowledges their elders.

“Not everyone,” I say, chuckling. “Then they’d be expecting it. We scattered some out over the years. I think I have a few separate ones in there for Supes, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl.” I mean, I deserved the Superman one, that party was in poor taste, but I’m not gonna let the kid know that. We’re already bad influences on him, if this is any indication. 

Another stack on top of that. “Well, he’s got the one for Batman’s framed in the Cave, so I think he wins on that one.” He turns fully towards me and catches my eye. His voice is calm and steady with a Batlike polish. “He needs you.”

Anger doesn’t sit well with a speedster. It feels like all your molecules are trying to move in different directions even as your body stays deathly still. There’s a reason almost no one sees us angry. “Oh, that’s your game?” I ask, the pitch of my voice fluctuating slightly even as it’s leaving my mouth. “Get me reminiscing and then ask me to come back as if nothing’s changed? Nightwing can find a new speedster. Kid Flash-”

“-is retired, I know,” the boy replies, backing up with hands raised. I forgot how young he was. “I didn’t say he needed Kid Flash. I said he needs _you_.” He tilts his head down, and his voice grows low and quiet. “ _Dick_ needs you.”

I turn to the kid and try to find something, anything to explain what the hell he just said. He’s a Robin, so I get nothing.

“Who-" I start, and the kid immediately cuts me off. “Don’t, West. We both know you know, and I’m insulted that you would think otherwise.”

I stare at him. And blink. Okay, three times. He sighs and continues, “Dick needs you. He hasn’t left his room in days – he just checks in with the Team remotely for Mission Control and writes code. I think he’s added three new defenses to the Batcave security today. Alfred had to pick the lock to get him food. Then he built a better lock.”

“Oh.” I wish I could believe the kid was joking, but that definitely sounds like Dick. I shrug exaggeratedly, trying to shrug off the worry more than his gaze. “So what makes me the most qualified to handle this?”

The kid raises an eyebrow. I never did figure out how they make the masks so expressive. “When do you think he stopped leaving?”

That’s my cue to stare at my feet. “Oh. This is about us quitting, isn’t it.”

The kid glares exasperatedly at me for a moment, then shakes his head. “This is about Dick being forced to put on a strong face for the Team and then, when he can be certain they won’t fall apart when he’s not looking and finally starts to deal with the fact that he lost a teammate, then his so-called _best friend_ , the most important person in his life, tells him that he’s leaving him and _doesn't speak to him for days_. He’s _hurting_ and he needs someone he trusts to help.”

“And how can I help?” I ask. My knees all but give out under the sudden weight of my hunched shoulders and I find a place to sit down. “We’re all reeling. It’s the first time anything like this has-"

_Golden glow against white snow. No blood. No trace. Flames, force, and a hand in mine. Like it was meant to be._

I shake my head. “The first time anything _like this_ has happened.” The words come out too fast. “That we’ve lost a teammate.”

Robin sits on the arm of the couch. “Not the first time.” His head is tilted down, and his voice is the quietest it’s been yet.

My lips tighten. “Jason was different.”

The moment it leaves my mouth, I know it was the wrong thing to say. “Not to us.” Robin turns away. “You should know better.”

I should. I remember the dedication of the statue. Bruce and Dick standing alone together, numb to any outside input. League members avoiding each other’s gazes, except Wonder Woman, who was glaring at everyone as if to dare them to look back. And Team members, huddled together, looking for any sign and listening for any word that would explain how this had happened.

I remember going up to Dick, after the memorial. Everyone else was gone, but he was still staring straight ahead, mask firmly on.

I remember later, when I got him to come over, and he just sat next to me for hours until the tears finally forced their way out.

I should know better.

Robin’s halfway out the window. He shakes his head and turns back. “You know, I _really_ don’t know what he sees in you. It must be something big, because he’s never connected to anyone else like that. Every secret he had went to you first. You’re the only one he invited over to the mansion just to hang out. But the moment you have a problem, you just turn away and ignore everything. He deserves better.” He turns away again and says, “If you feel like acting like a _best friend_ and not just leaving Dick to his misery, you know where he’ll be.” And he’s gone.

…Well, I guess I need to change. I’ll be damned if I’m running in these jeans.

______________________

[February 24, 19:48 PST, Team Year 5]

I step out into the Batcave. It’s completely deserted. Batman really must be away. Making my way up to Dick’s room, I spot Alfred in the kitchen. Ducking in, I see that he’s putting together a tray of food – mashed potatoes and steak with mushrooms and a brown sauce. Must have been certain they’d be dining in tonight, he’s almost never that fancy. “I can take that up to him, if you want.”

Living with the Bats for years seems to have rendered Alfred immune to being startled. “Ah, Master Wallace,” he says, turning to me. “Forgive me, your presence was unexpected. There are only three portions.”

“That’s fine,” I say, shrugging. “It’s not even five yet back home.” I pick up the tray and turn away, then think better of it. “Aaaactually, I could use a bag or two of chips.” I turn back around, and Alfred already has them out. 

He sets them on the side of the tray, saying, “You are nothing if not predictable, Master Wallace.” I consider objecting, but I can actually tell from his face that he’s messing with me, so I let it go. He continues, “I hope Master Richard will listen to you, at least. I was not eager to try my hand at the new lock he’s put together.”

“Yeah, I would not want to test him right now,” I say, smirking slightly. “Thanks, Alfred.”

“With pleasure.” He returns to fixing the other two portions. I turn and walk out to the stairs to the second floor.

Dick’s door suddenly has a conspicuously large deadbolt mechanism on the front. On a closer look, I notice that it seems to be more digital than analog. I’d like to see the plans for this thing. If he drew up any.

I knock on the door. No audible response. “Dick?” I venture, leaning in towards the door. What am I going to do if he doesn’t want to talk to me?

The door opens and I jerk back. I didn’t even hear his footsteps. I gotta say, he looks terrible. If he was capable of growing facial hair he’d be covered in stubble. “Wally?” he asks. The look in his eyes seems both unfortunately familiar and completely alien. It vanishes as he sets his jaw. “Who sent you?”

“No one sent me,” I say. He glares, and I amend my statement. “Fine. Tim came and got me.” He doesn’t really look any happier for that as he glances away. “Look. You should eat. Alfred even made a special dinner.”

He gives me a look and closes the door again. I try to pull it open, but the lock glows red and I jerk my hand away. Geez, Dick. Dramatic much? “I’m sorry. It shouldn’t have taken Tim to get me to come over. Dude, please. Let me in.”

I hear the steps this time before he opens the door again. He grabs one of the bags of chips and opens it, popping one into his mouth. “I’m working on security for the Batcave. I found a couple holes that are surprisingly difficult to close.” He settles down at his desk, laptop open.

“Yeah, Tim mentioned,” I say, sitting down on his bed. “How long did it take you to find these holes?”

He’s silent for a moment before he answers. “Two days.”

I raise my eyebrows. “And how well do you know the security system?”

He sighs. “I wrote a quarter of its current iteration.” Turning away from his laptop, he fixes his eyes on me. This look isn’t familiar at all. “I know Tim and Alfred think I’m falling apart, but I thought I’d be spared the babying from you.”

“It isn’t babying.” I meet his stare. “Losing a teammate is hard. Leading a team who’s lost one must be nearly impossible.”

He hesitates. “There’s nothing any of us could have done. Aquagirl did what she did to save us. Her loss was regrettable, but we could not have completed the mission without her.”

I recoil, pushing myself further back onto the bed. “Jesus, Dick. You sound like the Bat.”

He doesn’t flinch, but his eyes read like he did. “Mourning her won’t change anything. There’s no one mistake to learn from. I have other things that require my attention.” He looks back at his laptop, a muscle twitching in his clenched jaw.

I reach out and lay a hand on his shoulder. “Other things can wait a day. If they were that urgent, I think I would have heard about them.” I soften my tone, speaking lower and quieter. “Even if you don’t like to admit it, Dick, you’re human. I know you. Making sacrifices doesn’t come naturally to you like it does to Batman. Even if there’s nothing you could have done, and there _is_ nothing you could have done, you blame yourself.”

I expect the tension in his shoulders to release, but they only get tighter. “I should have been able to do something. There should have been something I could do to save her. To keep our team safe.” He leans forward placing his head in his hands. “You were right to leave. You’ve seen what my leadership does to people.” He laughs bitterly. “Hell, you have firsthand experience.”

“Dick,” I say, leaning in, “I never blamed you for what happened in the simulation. You did the right thing. I was too emotionally compromised to listen if you told me what we were really doing, but if I’d been in my right state of mind, I would have agreed it was our best shot. You knew that. You did what you had to to save lives, just like Tula.” He turns to me, about to say something, but I cut him off. “Maybe you used to have trouble leading, but now you’re amazing at it. I wouldn’t trust anyone more with the job. For every mission you’ve lost someone, there have been dozens where you’ve come out with everyone safe and every objective achieved.” My hand finds his, and I squeeze. “I didn’t leave because I didn’t trust you. I left because I realized that no matter how good my leader was, I was going to die on a mission.” My lips half quirk into a smile I don’t feel. “I want to have some time to live first.”

He looks at me for a moment before collapsing forward onto my shoulder. My hand moves across his back to reach his other shoulder. I feel tears start to fall on my shirt, but I don’t mind. “I… I want you to live too.”

“Well, I’d hope you do,” I say, smirking. “I’d be awfully surprised if it turned out you’d been plotting my death for what, ten years now?”

He laughs, shaking more than he should. “Nine. And you know that’s not what I meant.”

“Yeah,” I say, resting my head on his. “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter fought me every step of the way. The first section was violently opposed to staying on topic - I might actually write a fic about what it was trying to be, but it didn't fit in this story. I actually had the first section finished before I wrote the Black Canary chapter, but was struggling with the second. The first just ended so nicely I didn't want to mess it up.  
> So, I have a question for you, dear readers. There is a chapter's worth of vignettes detailing the offscreen moments of interaction between Wally and Dick over Invasion, but I don't know if they're absolutely necessary to follow the plot of this fic. Should I publish them in this fic or in a separate story?  
> EDIT: You all spoke, and I delivered! The vignettes, expanded into ten separate chapters, can be found in [He's My Best Friend](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5704396/chapters/13140763).


	5. Blue Beetle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place between Summit and Endgame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kid Oblivious is BACK! For those of you who have only been following this fic, all of He's My Best Friend takes place before this chapter. It's optional, but it fills in a lot of the space between the last chapter and this one. You can find it [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5704396/chapters/13140763).

[June 19, 2:43 EDT, Team Year 6] 

Question: where does one house dozens of excited, adrenaline-drunk teen and young adult heroes after they’ve finished beating up bad guys and saving the world? 

Answer: a warehouse in Blüdhaven, apparently. We’re really running low on bases. 

Still, even a dreary, poorly lit venue can’t dampen our spirits today. Laughter echoes throughout the room, and I’ve yet to find a face without some level of smile. 

“Don’t you think we should be heading home to celebrate?” Artemis asks, shooting me a look that I know. Wow, I know that look. 

Normally, I’d already be running for the nearest zeta tube. But it’s been a long, long time since my last mission afterparty, and the mix of old friends and newly familiar faces feels like a family reunion. “Hey, this is a Team victory, we should be celebrating with the Team!” I wrap my arms around her and nuzzle her cheek. “It’s not like we won’t have time after the kids get to meet their elders.” 

She laughs, but tucks her face between my shoulder and neck. “You make us sound like parent chaperones. Tell me we aren’t that old yet.” 

I chuckle, and I can feel my skin shift against hers. “We aren’t.” Winding my hand into her hair, I suddenly realize: “We might be, though, someday.” 

Artemis chokes, pulling back to stare at me. My grin doesn’t budge. “Excuse me?” she finally gets out. 

“What,” I tease, “don’t like me having faith in our chances for survival?” 

“Not when you phrase it like that!” She laughs, but it’s breathy and just this side of hysterical. Wait, what? “I think Bumblebee brought punch earlier, I’m gonna go get some. Be back soon, sweetie.” The words tumble out of her as she makes her escape, leaving me staring after her and regretting whatever it was about what I just said that upset her. 

Well, it won’t help to go after her right now. Better to take advantage of the opportunity to meet the new generation. I turn around, only to spot Blue Beetle already approaching. 

“Sorry, ese,” he starts, then immediately backtracks both figuratively and literally. “Uh, I mean, Kid Flash. I mean…” Shaking his head, he starts over completely. “Have you seen Bart? He wandered off a while ago and I can’t find him.” Thanks to years of experience with reading masked faces, I spot a hint of a blush in the way he avoids eye contact. Aw, am I that intimidating? I’m flattered. 

“Nope, sorry,” I say. “The kid’s got a serious habit of disappearing. Used to be wowed enough by having family around that he’d stick nearby, but now we can’t even count on that.” BB still looks awkward, so I give him an easy smile to get him to relax. “He’s almost as bad as the Bats.” 

Finally, he eases up enough to half-smile. “Oh yeah? Any tips?” 

I shrug, sighing dramatically. “Wait until they’ve finished whatever seemed so important and remember what they were doing a second ago. At least Bart’s a speedster, so it shouldn’t take _too_ long.” I suddenly remember him losing a sandwich midway through eating it and have to suppress a laugh. “Then again, he does have a terrible attention span…” 

Blue Beetle doesn’t respond, his face blank. That was not the response I was hoping for. “Hey, don’t worry about it, her-man-o,” I say, clapping him on the back. “If the way he talks about you is any indication, he’ll be back any second now.” 

He scoffs, but he’s completely relaxed. Success! “I dunno, ese, he seems to come and go as he pleases most of the time. Sometimes I think he’s avoiding me, then he shows up on my doorstep in full costume and insists on dragging me out somewhere.” 

“Yeah, that’s speedsters for you,” I say, my smile shifting to sheepish. “Sorry. We kinda forget about normal people schedules sometimes. Just remind him that you live life at one second per second and he should chill out eventually. Nightwing can vouch for that, he had to put up with me for years. Artemis got off easy.” 

Tilting his head, he says, “Oh, that’s right. You two were really close, weren’t you? Miss Martian mentioned that you always used to insist on partnering up whenever possible.” He looks away, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, Bart does the same with me, but that’s different.” 

An old wound flares up at the mention of missions, but I dismiss it. “Different how? I mean, he’s about as clingy as I am, I’m not surprised he’s hanging all over you.” 

Did he just roll his eyes at me? I know I wanted him to chill out, but not that much. Kids these days. “Yeah, but I doubt Nightwing came back from the future to stop you from enslaving humanity and handing them over to the Reach. Little bit different there, ese.” 

I raise my eyebrows, whistling a long, low note. “Yeah, I bet that would have come up by now. You’re right, that is pretty different.” I guess a lot’s happened since I left. I’m so out of the loop. “Still,” I say, getting back to my original train of thought, “he’s always chattering away about his latest adventure with his her-man-o, ‘the Blue Bee-tell,’ so I’m pretty sure that’s not the only reason.” 

“Really?” he asks, looking strangely surprised. 

“Yeah, dude,” I say, laughing. “The kid likes you. Doubt he’d be bothering you that much if he didn’t.” 

BB’s eyes go wide, and he starts babbling, saying, “Oh, he’s not bothering me, it’s just that I wish he’d give me some notice, or at least not come in costume, or _something_ …” Another laugh from me shuts his mouth and he grinds his hands into his forehead. “Not the point. He’s just such a _kid_ sometimes and I don’t know how to handle it.” 

“Makes sense,” I say, shrugging, “given that he’s fourteen.” 

“Fourteen?!” he says, completely gobsmacked, and I start laughing all over again. “No way. _Dios mio_ , I didn’t realize.” 

Maybe it’s mean, but a part of me is really enjoying this. “Looks older, doesn’t he? He told us some future-tech makes people age faster. But yeah, his birthday was March 23rd. Didn’t even tell us until after it passed.” 

“March 23rd?” His face goes blank, thoughtful. Then he shakes his head. “And mine’s next month. I’m almost three years older. _Ay_.” 

“What’s so bad about that?” I ask, cocking my head. “Nightwing’s two years younger than me, and we were best friends at your age. Heck, M’gann was 48 and Conner was like half a year old back when they got together. I guess it’s hard to care about age differences when you’re saving the world together.” 

He glances over at the others, as if pondering his escape. “It’s just not what I expected, okay?” Raising his hand to rub at the back of his neck, he asks, “It really wasn’t weird? Even when… you know?” 

I don’t, but I’ll pretend I do. “Nah. I honestly forgot about it most of the time, except when we were teasing each other. He was always the leader between us anyway.” 

“Huh,” he says. “I just worry about the half-age-plus-seven rule, you know.” 

I blink at him. “Dude, that’s for dating.” 

He stares back, eyes even wider than before. “That’s not what we were talking about?” 

I’m about to reply when Bart appears at Blue Beetle’s side, wrapping his arms around one of the older boy’s. “Blue, Jaime, BB, you gotta come with me! Beast Boy dared me to steal one of Robin’s birdarangs so I did and I gotta go show him before Robin catches up! You gotta come see his face when he finds out I did it!” Before I can interject, Bart’s dragging Blue Beetle off, who doesn’t look nearly as distressed by the whole thing as his words of protest would imply. I’m left trying to figure out what the hell that kid was trying to ask me the whole time. 

“Hey, babe,” comes Artemis’s voice from behind me, “I brought you back some punch.” I turn to her, and given the way concerned amusement spreads over her face, my bafflement must show on mine. “Looks like you’ve seen more of the new kids than you meant to.” 

I turn to her, my expression still refusing to shift. “Since when has Blue Beetle been crushing on my cousin? And why does everyone _still_ think Nightwing and I were dating?” 

The concern vanishes, replaced by a mix of pity and suppressed laughter. “If you don’t know, I can’t tell you. Drink your punch.” She presses the cup into my hand, and, unconsciously, I take a gulp from it. “Now, given that you’re in a state of shock, I think that’s enough partying for tonight. Let’s go get you some rest.” 

I let her pull me away from the festivities, my mind still stubbornly blank. What the hell.


	6. Artemis Crock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place after Endgame.

[????? ??, ?:?? ???, Team Year ?]

I am running.

I don’t know how long I’ve been running, how long there’s been nothing around me but flashes (heh) of red and yellow. I can’t remember when this started, or why.

I am running.

Who was I, before this? Memories flit by, too fast for me to catch no matter how much I pick up the speed. I can’t get more than a snapshot before they’re carried away by the not-wind that seems to permeate this place. 

I am running.

Is this a place? There’s no ground, no form, no horizon. There’s nothing but me.

I am running.

I try to remember, to grab at the snapshots before they vanish. I remember a brush of lips against my cheek.

I am running.

The corner of a smile.

I am running.

Laughter, high and low.

I am running.

The warmth of a hand in mine.

I am running.

The cold of snow, falling in sheets.

I am running.

The cold of snow.

I am running.

Snow.

I am

_Snow._

Golden light. Decisions. My hand vanishing in front of my face. Desperation. I am running, faster than I have ever run, and it’s still not fast enough.

_Snow._

Snow days, birthdays, out of school, towards the cave. Birthday party, laid out for me. The widest smile I have ever seen. 

_Snow._

The crunch of frozen sleet beneath my toes. Knowing that someone is waiting for me and time is running ( _ha_ ) short. But I am a hero, and I can do this. I can run. 

_Snow._

I am running. I am running. I am running. Running _home._

[November 11, 02:16 EST, Team Year 9]

_Wally, wake up._

Huh?

_Wally, wake up._

Don’t wanna.

_Damn it, Wally, I know you’re in there. Quit being such a stubborn ass and open your goddamn eyes._

Geez, fine, give me a sec. 

I slowly open my eyes, blinking in the light of a dozen holographic displays. I try to sit up, only to realize that ow, shit, _everything_ hurts. I settle back onto the bed, defeated.

“Hey, Wally,” Artemis’s voice says from beside me. Tilting my head just enough to look at her, I take her in. She’s wearing the Tigress suit, sans mask. Not... incredibly surprising. Not compared to her hair, which is shorn so close that the that the tips barely brush her ears.

“Hey babe,” I croak out. I try to reach for her hair, but only manage to flop my hand over vaguely in her direction. “You look different. Got tired of those lovely locks?”

Surprised confusion flits over her face, then comprehension, as she raises her fingers to brush a strand away from her face. “Yeah, actually. Got grabbed by the ponytail a few years ago. Cut it all off and haven’t let it grow out since.”

“Pity,” I say, cracking what was meant to be a smile but turned out a wincing grimace. “It looked good on you.”

She smiles. It reaches her eyes, but that doesn’t stop them from looking sad and far, far older than I remember. “You’ve been gone a long time, Wally.”

“I’m beginning to get that impression,” I say, huffing out a laugh. Shifting as far on my side as I can manage, I ask, “So what did I miss?”

She looks at me the same way she used to when I asked what _else_ we were having for dinner. “Other than three birthdays, a wedding, and the birth of your cousins?”

I can already tell my brain’s not going to process that. “Yeah, other than that.”

She shakes her head, leaning back in her chair. “Well, Bart and Jaime got together. They’ve been doing pretty well. Had to go the long distance route when Jaime started college, but homeschooling and zeta beams help with that. The twins were born a few months after you vanished. The Garricks were thrilled – they’ve been watching them during patrol hours and emergencies. Barry and Iris are managing to hold it together somehow despite basically having three jobs between them and a pair of speedster toddlers, so they’ve got my eternal respect. The Team and League have stopped...” She worries at her lip, counting silently on her fingers. “Seven major plots to destroy the world.”

“Only seven?” I tease, finally managing to force my face into a smile.

She scoffs. “Depends on how you count it. I’m not including the Toymaker’s.”

Croaking out a laugh, I let my eyes slide closed. “Now I’m _really_ sad I missed out.”

Artemis’s fingers weave their way into my hair, just like they used to when we could find the free time to just sit on the couch and cuddle. “Me too.”

We stay like that for what could be two minutes or two hours before I get the strength to open my eyes again. “And what about the sadder things?” I ask. “I missed them too.”

Artemis hesitates, but given the expression on her face, I can’t blame her. “We’ve had some… hard times.” Breathing deeply, she continues. “The Joker took Barbara. She’s alive, but paralyzed. She’s going by Oracle now, running backup and communications, but I think she misses patrolling. Then we found Jason. Alive.”

Her tone of voice makes me afraid to ask, but I do anyway. “That’s a bad thing?”

She looks away. “Batman found him murdering his way to the top of the drug trade.”

“…Oh.”

“Then he put Tim in the hospital.”

“ _Oh_.”

“Yeah.” She laughs humorlessly. “Gotham had a bad year.” She crosses her wrists in her lap, shoulders hunching. “My mother got caught in the crossfire.”

“ _Artemis_.” I reach out to hold her hand, ignoring the creaks and grinds in my bones.

She shakes her head, pushing my hand away. “It’s fine. Well, no, it’s not fine.” She raises her hand, pressing against her eye as if it will stop the tears from coming. “I see her in every face I fail to save. But it’s getting better.” She glances at me, and it feels like a flinch. “Kaldur’s helping.”

I look at how she’s watching my response, and I _know_. “Oh.”

She doesn’t quite relax, but she doesn’t tense up either. “I’ve changed, Wally. Not all for the better, not all for the worse. But I’ve changed.”

I don’t respond.

“I know you missed it all,” she continues, voice soft and flat. “I know that last time you spoke to me, we were joking about living the hero life by day and domestic bliss by night. But I-“ She swallows, pushes through. “I don’t think I can live that way now. I’m not sure I _want_ to. And that’s not your fault. It’s not anybody’s. But you deserve someone who wants the same things you do, who will be the one to play off of your jokes and get your ass back in line, and I’m not that person anymore.”

Oh.

I roll back down, staring up at the ceiling. I’m not selfish enough to say that I don’t care, that we’ll stay together no matter what. I wouldn’t ask that of her. But I’m not selfless either. “Are you sure? That this is the best way.”

I don’t see her reaction. “Yes.”

I close my eyes. “Okay.” Opening them again, I look over and catch her gaze. “I love you.”

“I know.” She leans in, pressing a light kiss to my forehead. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I say. 

It’s not. But it will be. 

“Has anyone else come by?” I ask, looking for any other topic of conversation.

Artemis smiles. “A few people. You’ve been out for two days.” She gently guides my face over until my eyes are fixed on one of the other beds. “Some are more stubborn than others, though.”

Nightwing is lying there, in full uniform and fast asleep. Even resting, he looks exhausted. He’s lost weight since the last time we spoke – not much, but given how much of it is muscle, any loss is bad. While his mask is perfectly in place – Bat technology at work – it still looks rumpled. His lips are barely parted as he breathes in, slowly and deeply. He looks… 

“He’s been here since we found you,” Artemis says, some of her old snark creeping back into her voice. “I finally got him to sleep a few hours ago; he’s not gonna be happy with me when he wakes up.”

“I thought you said I’d been out for two days,” I respond, still staring at him. At my best friend.

She scoffs. “Like I said, stubborn.” Her fingers hover over my arm, almost but not quite touching, before she pulls them away. “I’m not sure he’s slept a full night since you ceased.”

That pulls me away. “Ceased?” I ask, looking up at her. It’s easier than it was before. Maybe my healing’s finally kicking in.

She shrugs. “That’s what Jaime called it. I guess it stuck. We didn’t want to believe you were dead, so, ceased.” Ducking her head, she chuckles. “Dick used to insist on it. Said that whatever happened, you weren’t dead, so we’d find you. Even when the League called off the official search. Even when Batman moved on.” She sits again, grinding her fists into her thighs. “Even when it wasn’t ‘we’ anymore, and it became ‘he.’”

The implication isn’t lost on me. It’s not as though I haven’t done the same when trails ran cold. “Artemis, I don’t blame you.”

“This isn’t about that,” she says, shaking her head. “It’s not about me. It’s about him. And about you.”

Blink. “What?”

She sighs. “Wally. After all this time, you still don’t want to hear it?”

If I had the strength, I’d turn over and scream into the pillow. “After all this time, you’re still trying to say it?”

“Wally, will you _listen_ to me?” Her eyes screw up as she spits out the words. “I don’t care _how_ you feel about him, but the man has been watching and waiting for you for _three and a half years_ after pining for _five_. He quit the _Team_ over you. I didn’t push this before because we were together and there was no point, but it’s time to put on your big boy pants and deal with the fact, yes _fact_ , that your best friend is in love with you.”

“He’s not-“ I protest, but Artemis cuts me off. 

“He _is_. Do you know how many people I’ve had to tell to just not bother to bring it up?”

A lot, if the number of people who’ve brought it up anyway is any indication.

She sighs. “The point is, there’s been an elephant in the room for over eight years. Don’t you think it’s time to clear that up?”

The sinking feeling in my stomach can’t be anxiety. It’s gotta be irritation. Somehow. “What do you know, anyway?” I say, fully aware that it’s unfair. “Don’t you think it would have come up at some point before now? Who thinks, ‘Ah, I’m going to tell the man who’s been missing three and a half years and who I broke up with only minutes ago that his best friend is in love with him so I can shove him at a warm body based on pure speculation?’”

Why the fuck is she wearing that _indulging_ smile? “Not me. _I_ think that my newly ex-boyfriend is in a terrible situation that is forcing him to make a new start, so I want to help him clear the air with a man who, again, I know for a _fact_ is in love with him. How he does that is up to him.”

“And _how_ do you know this?” I ask, not even bothering to bite back the sarcasm. 

She shrugs, leaning her chair back. “He told me.”

I should have seen that coming. 

“They held a funeral for you.” Her voice is light in tone but heavy in weight. “When you were declared legally dead. You’ll have to undo that, by the way. They told the courts that the last time they’d seen you, you were running for your life.” She frowns, shakes her head. “ _Anyway_ , the funeral. Dick skipped out. I’m actually kind of happy about that, gave me an excuse to be ‘late’ tracking him down.”

“Geez, thanks,” I joke.

She waves it away. “We’ll go to the next one. Anyway, I found him moping in a bar in Blüdhaven. Drowning his sorrows, I guess. He asked if I was there to drag him to the funeral. I told him I was there to match him drink for drink.”

Smirking, I ask, “How’d that go?”

“Let’s just say I’m glad we had the money together to pay for it and leave it at that.” She pauses, considering. “Most of it. Had to leave collateral and come back for some. The kid can hold his liquor.”

“Heh.” Not surprised. Dick’s an athletic celebrity who has reason to be paranoid about poisons and intoxicating substances, and Artemis is, well, Artemis. 

“We went back to his place after that. Talked about everything we couldn’t say in public. About Team operations, about when we were kids. I asked him, then. I’d guessed for years, but it was finally time to know. Instead of just answering directly – Bats, I swear – he said that his biggest regret was that he didn’t realize he needed to tell you how much you meant to him the first time you ‘died.’ He let himself believe it was irrelevant, told himself that it would be easier with time, but it wasn’t.” Artemis looks at me, face blank. “Don’t let him make that mistake again. For both your sakes.”

And finally, I give up, let it sink in at last. Dick’s… in love with me. I- 

Memories flood back in. Words he said, or didn’t say. All the times I could tell he was holding back, hiding something from me. Every time I let it slide. “H-“ I start, but it catches in my throat and I have to start again. “How long?” 

Humming in concentration, Artemis takes a moment to answer. “He wasn’t sure. He didn’t fully realize until some villain pointed it out to him.”

“Tommy Terror,” I murmur. I think I knew that, deep down, but hearing it makes it real. That puts it before the failed training exercise. Before I started dating Artemis. Before I left the Team. Before I… left. 

I look up. Artemis is staring at me, staying helpfully and uselessly silent. I open and close my mouth, and she seems to take that as her cue to speak. “So what now, Wally?”

What now, indeed. “I – I need a bit of time alone, I think. More rest. I’m not fully healed. But-“ I cut myself off, shaking my head. “Thank you. For being the first one here.”

She shrugs. “Better this way. For both of us.” Her hand finds mine and squeezes. “I’m so glad you’re back, Wally. Come find me again when you’re out of here.”

I squeeze back. “Will do. Take care of yourself, spitfire.”

Even her laugh sounds incredulous. “Spitfire? Where’d you pull that one from?”

“Had it in my back pocket for a rainy day.” I pull my hand back and roll away. “Rest time now. Say hi to Kaldur for me.” I even mean it.

The door closes behind her, and the lights dim with it. I let my eyes fall closed and pretend for a moment that I’m actually going to fall asleep. When that (predictably) fails, I turn my head towards Dick’s bed. “So how much of that were you awake for?”

Dick’s breathing pattern changes. Thought so. 

“Dude, I may have been out for three years, but I really doubt you’ve managed to train the snores out of your restful sleep, too.”

Dick goes completely silent. I glance over to the chair where Artemis had been sitting, unsurprised to see him already seated. “So,” I start, waving my hand weakly while I try to decide between the dozens of questions currently rumbling around in my head. “You still… main Falco?”

He doesn’t move. I can’t quite see his face, but I can hear his response. “I’m trying to diversify.”

“About time.” I reach for something else, anything else to talk about, but come up with nothing. “Look, I’d love to pull my normal evasive maneuvers and talk about completely pointless bullshit, but I’m already out of ideas. Can we just get this over with?”

I can read “no” all over Dick’s stance, but he nods anyway.

It doesn’t take Bat negotiation skills to tell I’ll be the one talking. Great. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

I’m pretty sure that noise was supposed to be a laugh. “That would have gone wonderfully. ‘Hey Wally, I know you’re very invested in your heterosexuality but I thought you should know that I’ve apparently been crushing on you for years and haven’t been able to keep myself from staring at you since I figured it out. We still on for that sleepover Saturday?’”

I wince. “Yeah, that phrasing probably wouldn’t have gone over too well.”

The humor(?) that had tinted Dick’s voice vanishes. “And just when I thought I’d be able to handle everything, the training exercise happened.” _Fire licking at my shoulders_ – not now. “And I killed you. Do you think I deserved to say anything after that?”

Hearing that makes me want to grind my hands into my face. Of course. Of course he still blames himself. “Dude, I told you I never blamed you for that. You can’t beat yourself up for every decision you make. Doing it all over again, I’d still help you save the world over saving my own skin.” 

“But,” he starts, and I can hear how much care it takes him to keep from shaking, “what if I didn’t bring you with me because it meant saving the world?” His head drops into his hands, and he stops holding back. “I keep going back and thinking it over, and I could have done it without you. I could have asked you to get me in and then turn right around and get out. It’d have been better. We would have had one more hero left when the next swarm came.” Looking up, his eyes, unseen, find mine. “What if I did it just so I wouldn’t die alone?”

Damn it, Dick. “I’d still do it,” I say, knowing it’s true only when it comes out of my mouth. “You wouldn’t be able to stop me.”

Silence. “… _Why_?” Dick finally breathes out.

 _Because what the fuck could be the point of living in a world without you._ “Because I don’t want you to die alone either.”

He stares at me, considering. Then he looks away, and I find myself missing his gaze. “Besides, you started… with Artemis, and I… I know when I’ve lost.”

“Bullshit.” He flinches, and yet I can’t bring myself to hold back. “This isn’t about winning or losing. Everyone wants to boil it down to who I care about more, but that’s not how it works, you can’t _quantify_ emotions like that. It might be easier to believe that, but that doesn’t make it true.”

He doesn’t look back at me. I sigh, head falling back into the pillow. “I worried about you, you know. When you shut yourself off from everyone. But you didn’t want me there, so I didn’t come. And then I finally started actually opening up to Artemis, and everything felt like it was falling back into place. I found Artemis, you found Zatanna. And Rocket. And Bette. And probably another dozen girls. I just figured you were growing up.”

My eyes are finally adjusted enough to the darkness to catch the flash of a smile. “They were fun. We’d have our time and let it go.” And now, now, he finally looks back to me. “But they weren’t you.”

Isn’t that a flattering thing to hear. “You should have said something.”

He hangs his head. “Well, now I have.”

I could call him out on waiting until someone else said it first. I could remind him that I could have died before I ever got to hear what I had a right to know. I could tell him that before all of this, I’d been planning to propose to Artemis, to spend the rest of my life with her, and that part of me still hasn’t caught up to realizing that will never happen. But in everything I could say, there’s only one thing I want to do. “Can you… come over here?”

Startling, he stares wide-eyed at me. “What?”

“There’s something I want to try,” I say, trying not to sound like there’s pink creeping into my cheeks. And thank goodness, he doesn’t question further, just slowly rises out of the chair and stands at the side of the bed. _This is it,_ I think. _This is the point of no return._

I reach up and gently guide his lips down to meet mine. 

With Artemis, I could tell you how every nanometer of her mouth felt against mine, how her breath caught when she pulled back. With Dick, it’s too overwhelming for me to process – all I can think is _this is right._

I let him pull away, and he doesn’t breathe. I can’t blame him – it’s hard to remember that air exists. “Holy shit,” I barely whisper. “I love you.”

It takes a few moments for Dick to react, but then his lips are on mine again, and this time, I can find the words to describe it – the soft but insistent give and take of his mouth, the hesitant touch of his hand on the back of my head as if he’s still scared I’ll run away, and the desperation in my lungs faltering against the desperation in my heart. Reaching out, my hands find his face and pull him in. The moment stretches out until, for whatever amount of time still exists, all I can feel and think of is _him._

But moments do not last forever, even for speedsters, and lungs still need to breathe. We part, and he pushes himself away, falls back into the chair. “What… What was that?” he asks.

“I don’t know yet,” I reply, “but I think I’d like it to happen again someday.”

I can see him running through the words again in his head. “Someday?”

I shrug. “A lot has happened tonight. I’m not in any state to think or make decisions about what I want.” He makes as if to stand, but I reach out and grab his hand. “But I want to figure it out with you.”

His fingers curl around mine. “Okay.” I can hear the smile in his voice without needing to look, and I can feel a matching one on my face.

I let the moment hang for a bit, then drop it. “Now, I have to get some sleep,” I say, exaggeratedly shifting down into my mattress. “Doctor’s orders, yada yada.” I look over at our linked hands, then up at Dick. “Stay with me tonight?”

He hesitates, so I add, “It’ll be just like one of our old sleepovers. But gayer, I guess.”

Laughing, he shakes his head. “Can’t be a sleepover, there’s no video games.” Still, he drags the chair up to the head of the bed and leans his head against the pillow.

“I’ll ask for some next time I wake up.” I let my eyes drift closed and my attention drift to the warmth of his hand. “You know, I have a lot of people to apologize to.”

“Yeah?” he asks, exhaustion finally showing in his voice.

“Yeah. Could have gotten this all sorted out years ago if I’d just listened to them.”

He snorts. “You can be pretty oblivious, even when someone’s saying things to your face.”

I let one eye open to look at him. “Yeah, well, I’ve got you to knock some sense into me, right?”

He squeezes my hand. “Yeah, you’ve got me.”

Reaching out, I poke at him teasingly. “Twelve years and counting.”

He shakes his head, and I chuckle, letting my eyes fall closed again. “Go to sleep, Wally.”

Yeah, this is as it should be. I drift off to sleep, ready to wake up and find my way through with him at my side. Definitely worth waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this fic is finally finished. This last chapter fought me (damn these boys refusing to talk to each other), and ended up being almost a fifth of both fics combined. I'm sorry for the delay, everyone! Hopefully this makes up for it.  
> It's weird to think about how much has changed since I started this fic. The person I initially started it as a gift for has long since left my life entirely, and I'm about a year and a half into the relationship following it. I've (narrowly) graduated from college and worked two different jobs. I guess it feels like that part of my life is coming to a close with this fic, heh. That's not even taking into account that I originally wrote it to be extremely canon-compliant before I found out that we were actually going to get a Season Three and I would be proven blissfully wrong. C'est la vie. I might write more in this verse someday (I'd been considering writing from the Bluepulse side), but it looks like my next project is in the Persona or Star Wars fandom (depending on which has publishable material first). Thank you for staying with me on this journey, and be on the lookout for my next work if you're interested in those fandoms!


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